Facts

FIVE INITIATIVES:

Initially, North Port puttered along in first gear as an isolated, sparsely populated bedroom community, the former county commissioner and School Board member said.

"In the summer, you could travel from North Port to Venice on U.S. 41 and never pass a car," Matthews remembered.

Over the decades, the city gradually picked up speed to become Sarasota County's largest municipality in both population and square miles.

"We're ready to shift into fourth gear," Matthews said Friday as he gave his personal endorsement to the North Port Economic Development Corp.'s just-announced plan. The proposal is aimed at luring more than $270 million in new construction and more than 1,700 new jobs.

The nonprofit, which receives no government subsidy, says it is pursuing five ambitious initiatives to bolster and diversify North Port's economy and tax base:

Create of a new Main Street district with the University of South Florida's satellite campus at U.S. 41 and Pan American Boulevard as its hub.

"We have a younger population" than the Sarasota area, Bartolotta said.

Eventually, USF could add dorms -- which would "outflow" customers to bistros and other new businesses.

In connection with the Main Street idea, the NPEDC would like to see walkways along the city's 90 miles of canals as well as gondolas or electric boats that serve as an alternative mode of transportation to get from one side of the city to the other.

Potential economic impact: $60 million to $150 million in initial construction and more than 300 jobs.

Make North Port an eco-tourism destination by getting a hotelier to build a lodge that accommodates visitors who want to explore Myakka State Forest or go rowing on the city's interconnected creeks and canals.

Ultimately, the NPEDC hopes to see at least three lodges, which could be "rustic, modern, riverside or buried in the woods," Bartolotta said.

Potential economic impact: $10 million to $40 million in initial construction and more than 300 jobs.

Encouraging the city and county to again agree to partner on making Warm Mineral Springs a major resort, with a hotel, spa, visitors center as well as a conference center that could also be used for local weddings and proms.

Potential economic impact: $20 million to $80 million in new construction and more than 300 jobs.

Create a retirement community in the vicinity of West Villages, Thomas Ranch and State College of Florida that will include a "lifelong learning" component for active seniors.

For younger students, the campus could include a "school of hospitality," possibly operated by USF and a culinary institute.

Potential economic impact: $80 million to $200 million in initial construction and more than 300 jobs.

Make Toledo Blade Boulevard a vital commercial corridor with medical schools and research operations in the vicinity of Sarasota Memorial Hospital's emergency room, a vocational school campus and, near Interstate 75, an entertainment district with such features as mini-golf, bistros or a water park.

Potential economic impact: $100 million to $300 million in initial construction and more than 500 jobs.

During the next six months, the NPEDC intends to meet with clubs and other community groups to see if it can build strong public support for its goals.

"I think people will be very supportive," said Robert Rosenberg, a retired tourism expert who is chairman of the NPEDC.

Any of the initiatives are likely to cause other amenities to land a North Port address as well, Rosenberg said. "People ask: 'Why don't we have a movie theater?' 'Why don't we have a Starbucks?' This will make us a true city."

<p><em>NORTH PORT</em> - When Gene Matthews moved his family to North Port almost 40 years ago, he discovered a city that he now compares to a car with four gears.</p><p>Initially, North Port puttered along in first gear as an isolated, sparsely populated bedroom community, the former county commissioner and School Board member said.</p><p>"In the summer, you could travel from North Port to Venice on U.S. 41 and never pass a car," Matthews remembered.</p><p>Over the decades, the city gradually picked up speed to become Sarasota County's largest municipality in both population and square miles.</p><p>"We're ready to shift into fourth gear," Matthews said Friday as he gave his personal endorsement to the North Port Economic Development Corp.'s just-announced plan. The proposal is aimed at luring more than $270 million in new construction and more than 1,700 new jobs.</p><p>The nonprofit, which receives no government subsidy, says it is pursuing five ambitious initiatives to bolster and diversify North Port's economy and tax base:</p><p><pbs:dingbats char="n">Create of a new Main Street district with the University of South Florida's satellite campus at U.S. 41 and Pan American Boulevard as its hub.</p><p>Peter Bartolotta, the NPEDC's co-founder, foresees USF's North Port campus becoming bigger than its Sarasota-Manatee campus.</p><p>"We have a younger population" than the Sarasota area, Bartolotta said.</p><p>Eventually, USF could add dorms -- which would "outflow" customers to bistros and other new businesses.</p><p>In connection with the Main Street idea, the NPEDC would like to see walkways along the city's 90 miles of canals as well as gondolas or electric boats that serve as an alternative mode of transportation to get from one side of the city to the other.</p><p>Potential economic impact: $60 million to $150 million in initial construction and more than 300 jobs.</p><p><pbs:dingbats char="n">Make North Port an eco-tourism destination by getting a hotelier to build a lodge that accommodates visitors who want to explore Myakka State Forest or go rowing on the city's interconnected creeks and canals.</p><p>Other eco-tourism activities could include horseback riding, all-terrain vehicle courses, zip lines and fishing.</p><p>Ultimately, the NPEDC hopes to see at least three lodges, which could be "rustic, modern, riverside or buried in the woods," Bartolotta said.</p><p>Potential economic impact: $10 million to $40 million in initial construction and more than 300 jobs.</p><p><pbs:dingbats char="n">Encouraging the city and county to again agree to partner on making Warm Mineral Springs a major resort, with a hotel, spa, visitors center as well as a conference center that could also be used for local weddings and proms.</p><p>Potential economic impact: $20 million to $80 million in new construction and more than 300 jobs.</p><p><pbs:dingbats char="n">Create a retirement community in the vicinity of West Villages, Thomas Ranch and State College of Florida that will include a "lifelong learning" component for active seniors.</p><p>For younger students, the campus could include a "school of hospitality," possibly operated by USF and a culinary institute.</p><p>Potential economic impact: $80 million to $200 million in initial construction and more than 300 jobs.</p><p><pbs:dingbats char="n">Make Toledo Blade Boulevard a vital commercial corridor with medical schools and research operations in the vicinity of Sarasota Memorial Hospital's emergency room, a vocational school campus and, near Interstate 75, an entertainment district with such features as mini-golf, bistros or a water park.</p><p>Potential economic impact: $100 million to $300 million in initial construction and more than 500 jobs.</p><p>During the next six months, the NPEDC intends to meet with clubs and other community groups to see if it can build strong public support for its goals.</p><p>"I think people will be very supportive," said Robert Rosenberg, a retired tourism expert who is chairman of the NPEDC.</p><p>Any of the initiatives are likely to cause other amenities to land a North Port address as well, Rosenberg said. "People ask: 'Why don't we have a movie theater?' 'Why don't we have a Starbucks?' This will make us a true city."</p><p>The agency is already getting buy-in from representatives of such diverse entities as North Port High School, Fawcett Memorial Hospital, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Peace River Medical Center, Venice Regional Medical Center, BB&T Bank, the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, Harvard Jolly Architects, Adache Group Architects, Suncoast Work Force, USF and many others.</p><p>By the end of this year, the group hopes to recruit investors ready to pursue one or more of the initiatives -- "investors who are looking at North Port in a new way," Rosenberg said.</p><p>Even if the initiatives bring in a fraction of the new construction and jobs anticipated, the impact could be huge, Bartolotta said.</p><p>"Maybe it's $75 million in new construction," Bartolotta said. "That's a lot of construction. Maybe it's 700 new jobs. That's a lot of new jobs. The point is, it's big enough to pursue."</p>